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Post by Anne Terri on Mar 9, 2013 10:04:41 GMT 1
Chapter 154
Jesus teaches in the temple court. The parable of the householder and wicked husbandmen. Parable of the marriage feast and the guest without a wedding robe.
1. The multitudes would hear what Jesus had to say, and so they built a platform in the temple court, and Jesus stood upon the place and taught. He spoke in parables; he said, 2. A man possessed a vast estate; he planted out a vineyard, placed a hedge about it, built a tower, installed the press for making wine. 3. He placed his vineyard in the hands of husbandmen and then he journeyed to a distant land. 4. Now, in the vintage time the man sent forth a servant to receive and bring to him his portion of the fruitage of the vines. 5. The husbandmen came forth and beat the man; laid forty lashes on his back and cast him out beyond the vineyard gate. 6. And then the owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen laid hold of him and sorely wounded him and cast him from the vineyard, leaving him half dead beside the way. 7. The owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen seized hold of him and with a javelin they pierced his heart; then buried him beyond the hedge. 8. The owner was aggrieved. He thought within himself, What shall I do? and then he said, This will I do. My only son is here, and I will send him to the husbandmen, 9. They surely will respect my son and send me what is mine. 10. He sent his son; the husbandmen took counsel with themselves; they said, This is the only heir to all this wealth, and if we take his life the vast inheritance is ours. 11. They took his life and cast him out beyond the vineyard hedge. 12. The days will come; the owner will return to reckon with the husbandmen, and he will seize them every one, and cast them into scorching fires where they shall stay until they pay the debts they owe. 13. And he will place his vineyard in the care of honest men. 14. Then turning to the priests and scribes he said, Did not your prophets say, 15. The stone the builders cast away became the capstone of the arch? 16. You men who pose as men of God, as husbandmen, lo, you have stoned and killed the messengers of God, his prophets and his seers, and now you seek to slay his son. 17. I tell you men, the kingdom shall be snatched away from you, and shall be given unto people who are not a people now, and to a nation that is not a nation now. 18. And men whose speech you cannot understand, will stand between the living and the dead, and show the way to life. 19. The chief priests and the Pharisees were deeply moved with anger when they heard this parable and would have seized the Lord and done him harm, but they were sore afraid; they feared the multitude. 20. And Jesus spoke another parable; he said, The kingdom is a-like a ceratin king who made a feast in honour of the marriage of his son. 21. He sent his servants forth to call the people who had been invited to the feast. 22. The servants called; but then the people would not come. 23. And then the king sent other messengers abroad to say, Behold, my tables now are spread; my oxen and my fatlings are prepared. 24. The choicest viands and the richest wines are on my boards; come to the marriage feast. 25. The people laughed and treated with disdain his call, and went their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise; 26. And others seized the servants of the king; abused them shamefully; and some of them they killed. 27. And then the king sent forth his soldiery who slew the murderers and burned their towns. 28. And then the king sent other servants forth; to them he said, Go to the corners of the streets, the partings of the ways, and to the marts of trade and say, 29. Whoever will may come up to the marriage feast. 30. The servants went their way and called; and lo, the banquet hall was filled with guests. 31. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who had not on a wedding robe; he called to him and said, 32. Friend, why are you here without a wedding robe? Would you dishonour thus my son? 33. The man was dumb; he answered not. 34. And then the king said to his guards, Take you this man and bind him hand and foot and cast him out into the darkness of the night. 35. The many have been called, but none are chosen to be guests who have not clad themselves in wedding robes.
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Post by Anne Terri on Mar 9, 2013 10:06:04 GMT 1
Chapter 155
Jesus recognises the justice of paying secular taxes. He teaches a lesson on family relationships in the life beyond. The greatest of the commandments is comprised in love. He warns his disciples against the hypocrisy of scribes and Pharisees.
1. As Jesus spoke, the Pharisees came up to question him; they thought to criminate him by what he said, 2. A strict Herodian spoke and said, My Lord, you are a man of truth; you show the way to God, and you do not regard the personality of men; 3. Tell us, what do you think; should we, who are the seed of Abraham, pay tribute unto Cæsar? or should we not? 4. And Jesus knew his wickedness of heart and said, Why do you come to tempt me thus? Show me the tribute money that you speak about. 5. The man brought forth a piece of coin on which an image was engraved. 6. And Jesus said, Whose image and whose name is on this coin? 7. The man replied, 'Tis Cæsar's image and his name. 8. And Jesus said, Give unto Cæsar that which is Cæsar's own; but give to God the things of God. 9. And they who heard him said, He answers well. 10. And then a Sadducee, who thinks there is no resurrection of the dead, came up and said, Rabboni, Moses wrote that if a married man shall die, and have no child, his widow shall become his brother's wife. 11. Now, there were seven brothers and the eldest had a wife; he died and had no child; a brother took his widow for his wife, and then he died; 12. And every brother had this woman for his wife; in course of time the woman died; 13. Now which will have this woman for a wife in the resurrection day? 14. And Jesus said, Here in this plane of life men marry just to gratify their selfish selfs, or to perpetuate the race; but in the world to come, and in the resurrection day, men do not take upon themselves the marriage vows. 15. But, like the angels and the other sons of God, they form not unions for the pleasure of the self, nor to perpetuate the race. 16. Death does not mean the end of life. The grave is not the goal of men, no more than is the earth the goal of seeds. 17. Life is the consequence of death. The seed may seem to die, but from its grave the tree arises into life. 18. So man may seem to die, but he lives on, and from the grave he springs up into life. 19. If you could comprehend the word that Moses spoke about the burning bush that burned and still was not consumed, then you would know that death cannot destroy the life. 20. And Moses said that God is God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel. 21. God is not God of dead men's bones, but the living man. 22. I tell you, men, man goes down to the grave, but he will rise again and manifest the life; 23. For every life is hid with Christ in God, and man shall live while God shall live. 24. The Pharisees and scribes who heard the Lord, exclaimed, He speaks the truth; and they were glad to have the Sadducees discomfited. 25. And then an honest scribe came forth and said to Jesus, Lord, you speak as one whom God has sent, and may I ask, 26. Which is the greatest and the first of the Commandments of the Law? 27. And Jesus said, The first is Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your strength; 28. And you shall love your neighbour as yourself. 29. These are the greatest of the ten, and on them hang the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. 30. The scribe replied, My soul gives witness that you speak the truth, for love fulfils the law, and far transcends burnt offerings and sacrifice. 31. And Jesus said to him, Lo, you have solved a mystery; you are within the kingdom and the kingdom is in you. 32. To his disciples Jesus spoke, and all the people heard; he said, Beware you of the scribes and Pharisees who pride themselves in wearing long and richly decorated robes, 33. And Love to be saluted in the market place, and seek the highest seats at feasts, and take the hard-earned wages of the poor to satisfy their carnal selves, and pray in public, long and loud. 34. These are the wolves who clothe themselves to look like sheep. 35. And then he said to all, The scribes and Pharisees are placed by law in Moses' seat, and by the law they interpret law; 36. So what they bid you do, that do; but do not imitate their deeds. 37. They say the things that Moses taught; they do the things of Beelzebul. 38. They talk of mercy, yet they bind on human shoulders burdens grievous to bear. 39. They talk of helpfulness, and yet they put not forth the slightest helpful efforts for their brother man. 40. They make a show of doing things, and yet they do not anything but show their gaudy robes, and broad phylacteries, and smile when people call them honoured masters of the law. 41. They strut about and show their pride when people call them father, so and so. 42. Hear, now, you men, Call no man father here. The God of heaven and earth, and he alone, is Father of the race of men. 43. Christ is the hierarch, the high, exalted master of the sons of men. 44. If you would be exalted, sit down at the master's feet and serve. He is the greatest man who serves the best.
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Post by Anne Terri on Mar 9, 2013 10:08:05 GMT 1
Chapter 156
The scribes and Pharisees are angered. Jesus rebukes them for their hypocrisy. He laments over Jerusalem. The widows's mite. Jesus delivers his farewell address to the people in the temple.
1. The scribes and Pharisees were wild with rage; and Jesus said, 2. Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you stand within the way; you block the door; you will not go into the kingdom and you turn aside the pure in heart who are about to enter in. 3. Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he has been made he is a son of hell, just like yourselves. 4. Woe unto you who call yourselves the guides of men! and you are guides, blind guides; 5. For you pay tithes of cummin, mint and dill, and leave undone the weightier matters of the law; of judgment, justice, faith. 6. You filter out the gnats before you drink; but then you swallow camels and the like. 7. Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you clean and scour the outside of the cup, while it is full of filth, extortion and excess. 8. Go to and clean the inside of the cup, and then the poisonous fumes will not defile the outside of the cup. 9. Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you are yourselves like whitewashed sepulchres; your outer garbs are beautiful, but you are full of dead men's bones. 10. You seem to men to be divine; but in your hearts you nourish lust, hypocrisies and vile iniquities. 11. Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you build and then adorn the tombs of holy men of old and say, 12. If we had lived when these men lived, we would have guarded them, would not have acted as our fathers did, when they maltreated them and put them to the sword. 13. But you are sons of them who slew the holy men, and you are not a whit more just than they. 14. Go forth and fill the measure of your father who were steeped in crime. 15. You are offsprings of the vipers, and how can you be but serpents of the dust? 16. God now has sent again to you his prophets and his seers, his wise men and his holy men, and you will scourge them in your synagogues, and stone them in the streets, and nail them to the cross. 17. Woe unto you! for on your heads will come the blood of all the holy men who have been slain upon the earth. 18. From righteous Abel down to Zacharias, son of Barachias, who was slain within the Holy Place before the altar of the Lord. 19. Behold, I say that these things all shall come upon this nation and the people of Jerusalem. 20. And Jesus looked about and said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou cruel city of Jerusalem, that slays the prophets in the streets and kills the holy men whom God has sent to you! 21. Lo, I would oft have gathered you as children to the fold of God; but you would not. 22. You have rejected God, and now your house is desolate, and you shall see me not again till you can say, 23. Thrice blessed is the son of man who comes as son of God. 24. Then Jesus went and sat beside the treasury and watched the people as they paid their tithes. 25. The rich men came and gave of their abundance; and then he saw a poor but loyal widow come and put a farthing in the treasure box. 26. And then he said to his disciples who were standing by, Behold, for this poor widow who has put a farthing in the treasury has done more than they all; 27. For she has given all she had; the rich have given just a little share of what they have. 28. A company of Grecian Jews were at the feast, and they met Philip, who could talk with them, and said, Sir, we would see the Lord, this Jesus, who is called the Christ. 29. And Philip led the way, and brought them to the Christ. 30. And Jesus said, The hour has come; the son of man is ready to be glorified, and it cannot be otherwise. 31. Except a grain of wheat fall into earth and die it can be nothing but a grain of wheat; but if it die it lives again, and from its grave a hundred grains of wheat arise. 32. My soul is troubled now; What shall I say? And then he cast his eyes to heaven and said, 33. My Father-God, I would not ask to be relieved of all the burdens I must bear; I only ask for grace and strength to bear the burdens whatsoe'er they be, 34. This is the hour for which I came to earth. O Father, glorify thy name! 35. And then the place was lighted with a light more brilliant than the noonday sun; the people stood a-back; they were afraid. 36. And then a voice that seemed to come from heaven said, 37. I have both glorified my name and yours, and I will honour them again. 38. The people heard the voice, and some exclaimed, Behold, a distant thunder! Others said, An angel spoke to him. 39. But Jesus said, This voice was not for me; it was for you, that you might know that I am come from God. 40. Now is the judgment of the world at hand; the prince of darkness shall be manifest and go unto his own. 41. The son of man will now be lifted up from earth, and he will draw all men unto himself. 42. The people said, The law declares that Christ abides for evermore. How can you say, The son of man will now be lifted up? Who is the son of man? 43. And Jesus said to them, The light is shining now; walk in the light while you still have the light. 44. The darkness comes; but he who walks in darkness cannot find the way. 45. Again I say, Walk in the light while you still have the light, that men may know that you are sons of light. 46. And Jesus stood out in the temple porch, and made his last appeal unto the multitudes; he said, 47. He who believes in me, believes in God who sent me forth to do his will, and he who sees me now beholds my Father-God. 48. Behold, I came a light unto the world; he who believes in me shall walk in light, the light of life. 49. You men who hear me now, If you believe me not, I judge you not. 50. I am not come to judge the world, but I am come to save the world. 51. God is only judge of men; but what I speak will stand against you in the day when God will judge the world; 52. For from myself I do not speak; I speak the words that God has given me to speak. 53. And then he said, Jerusalem, with all your glory and your crimes, Farewell.
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Post by Anne Terri on Mar 9, 2013 10:09:37 GMT 1
Chapter 157
The Christines upon Mount Olives. Jesus prophesys the destruction of Jerusalem, and of terrible disasters that will mark the conclusion of the age. He exhorts his disciples to faithfulness.
1. When Jesus with the twelve went forth and sat upon Mount Olives, just beyond the city's gate. 2. And his disciples said, Behold the wondrous city of Jerusalem! its homes are all so beautiful! its temples and its shrines are clothed in such magnificence! 3. And Jesus said, The city is the glory of my people, Israel, but, lo, the time will come when every stone will be cast down, and it will be a hiss and byword for the nations of the earth. 4. And the disciples asked, When will this desolation come? 5. And Jesus said, This round of human life will not be full until the armies of the conqueror will thunder at her gates, and they will enter in, and blood will flow like water through the streets. 6. And all the precious furnishings of temple, court and palaces will be destroyed, or carried off to deck the palaces and courts of kings. 7. Behold, these days are not at hand. Before they come, lo, you shall be maltreated by the scribes and Pharisees, the high priests and the doctors of the law. 8. Without a cause you will be haled into courts; you will be stoned; you will be beaten in the synagogues; will stand condemned before the rulers of this world, and governors and kings will sentence you to death. 9. But you will falter not, and you will testify for truth and righteousness. 10. And in these hours be anxious not about your speech; you need not think of what to say; 11. For, lo, the Holy Breath will overshadow you and give you words to say. 12. But then the carnage will go on, and men will think that they are pleasing God by killing you, and nations far and near will hate you for the sake of Christ. 13. And men will stir up evil thought among your kin, and they will hate you and will give you up to die. 14. And brothers will be false to brothers; fathers will stand forth and testify against their own, and children will drive parents to the funeral pile. 15. When you shall hear the Roman eagle screaming in the air, and see his legions streaming o'er the plain, then know the desolation of Jerusalem is near. 16. Then let the wise wait not, but flee. Let him who is upon his house wait not to enter in the house to gather up his wealth, but let him flee. 17. And he who labours in the field must not return, but leave his all to save his life. 18. And woe to mothers with their little children in that day; none shall escape the sword. 19. The tribulation of these days cannot be told in words, for such has never been since God created man upon the earth. 20. The conqueror will carry many of the sons of Abraham away as captives into foreign lands, and they who know not Israel's God will tread the highways of Jerusalem until the anti-Jewish times have been fulfilled. 21. But when the people have been punished for their crimes, the tribulation days will end; but lo, the time will come when all the world will rise, like gladiators in a ring, and fight just for the sake of shedding blood. 22. And men will reason not; they will not see, nor care to see a cause for carnage, desolation, thefts; for they will war with friend or foe. 23. The very air will seem surcharged with smoke of death; and pestilence will follow close upon the sword. 24. And signs that men have never seen will appear in heaven and earth; in sun, and moon, and stars. 25. The seas will roar, and sounds will come from heaven that men can never comprehend, and these will bring distress of nations with perplexity. 26. Hearts of the strongest men will faint in fear, in expectation of the coming of more frightful things upon the earth. 27. But while the conflicts rage on land and sea, the Prince of Peace will stand above the clouds of heaven and say again: 28. Peace, peace on earth; good will to men; and every man will throw away his sword, and nations will learn war no more. 29. And then the man who bears the pitcher will walk forth across an arc of heaven; the sign and signet of the son of man will stand forth in the eastern sky. 30. The wise will then lift up their heads and know that the redemption of the earth is near. 31. Before these days shall come, behold, false Christs and poor deluded prophets will arise in many lands. 32. And they will show forth signs, and do a multitude of mighty works; and they will lead astray the many who are not wise; and many of the wise will be deceived. 33. And now I tell you once again, When men shall say, The Christ is in the wilderness, go you not forth. 34. And if they say, The Christ is in the secret place, believe it not; for when he comes the world will know that he has come. 35. For as the morning light comes from the east and shines unto the west; so shall be the coming of the age and son of man. 36. The wicked of the earth will weep when they shall see the son of man come down upon the clouds of heaven, in power. 37. Take heed you, O take heed, for you know not the hour nor the day when comes the son of man. 38. Let not your hearts be overcharged with sensuous things, nor with the cares of life, lest that day come and find you unprepared. 39. Keep watch at every season of the year; and pray that you may meet the Lord with joy and not with grief. 40. Before those days shall come our Father-God will send his messengers abroad, yea, to the corners of the earth, and they will say. 41. Prepare you, O prepare; the Prince of Peace shall come, and now is coming on the clouds of heaven. 42. When Jesus had thus said, he went with his disciples back to Bethany.
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Post by Anne Terri on Mar 9, 2013 10:11:28 GMT 1
Chapter 158
Jesus and the twelve at prayer in Olivet. Jesus reveals to his disciples the deeper meanings of secret doctrines. He tells them what to teach the people. Relates a number of parables. They return to Bethany.
1. The morning of the Wednesday of the week was come, and Jesus with the twelve went out to Olivet to pray; and they were lost in prayer for seven hours. 2. Then Jesus called the twelve close to his side and said, This day the curtain parts and we will step beyond the veil into the secret courts of God. 3. And Jesus opened up to them the meaning of the hidden way, and of the Holy Breath, and of the light that cannot fail. 4. He told them all about the Book of Life, the Rolls of Graphael, the Book of God's Remembrance where all the thoughts and words of men are written down. 5. He did not speak aloud to them; he told the secrets of the masters in an undertone, and when he spoke the name of God there was a silence in the courts of heaven for half an hour, for angels spoke with bated breath. 6. And Jesus said, These things may not be spoken out aloud; they never may be written down; they are the messages of Silenceland; they are the Breathings of the inner heart of God. 7. And then the master taught the twelve the lessons they should teach to other men. He sometimes taught in parables; he said, 8. You call to mind the words of yesterday about the coming of the son of man. Now, you shall teach to other men what I have spoken and am speaking unto you; 9. Teach them to pray and not to faint; to be prepared at every moment of the day, for when they least expect him, then the Lord will come. 10. A man went to a distant land and left his house and all his wealth in care of servants; five to guard his house and five to guard his barns and herds. 11. The servants waited long for his return, but he came not, and they grew careless in their work; some spent their time in revellings and drunkenness, and some slept at their posts. 12. And night by night the robbers came and carried off the wealth from house and barn, and drove away the choicest of the herds. 13. And when they knew that much of all the wealth that they were left to guard had been purloined, they said, 14. We cannot be to blame; if we had known the day and hour when our lord would come again we would have guarded well his wealth, and suffered not the thieves to carry it away; he surely is at fault because he told us not. 15. But after many days the lord returned, and when he knew that thieves had robbed him of his wealth, he called his servants and he said to them, 16. Because you have neglected what was given you to do, have spent your time in revellings and sleep, behold you all are debtors unto me. 17. What I have lost by your neglect, you owe to me. And then he gave them heavy tasks to do, and bound them to their posts with chains, where they remained till they had paid for all the goods their lord had lost through their neglect. 18. Another man locked up his wealth and went to sleep, and in the night time robbers came, unlocked his doors, and when they saw no guard, they entered in and carried off his wealth. 19. And when the man awoke and found his doors ajar and all his treasures gone, he said, If I had known the hour when the thieves would come I would have been on guard. 20. Beware, my friends, beware! and be prepared at every hour, and if your Lord shall come at midnight or at dawn, it matters not, for he will find you ready to receive. 21. And then, behold, a marriage was announced, and virgins, ten of them, were set apart to meet the bridegroom when he came. 22. The virgins clothed themselves in proper garbs, and took their lamps and sat in waiting for the watch to say, Behold, the bridegroom comes! 23. Now, five were wise; they filled their lamps with oil; and five were foolish, for they carried empty lamps. 24. The groom came not at the expected time; the virgins were a-weary with their watch and slept. 25. At midnight came the cry, Behold, the bridegroom comes! 26. The virgins rose; the wise ones quickly trimmed their lamps and went forth ready to receive the groom. 27. The foolish virgins said, We have no oil, our lamps burn not. 28. They sought to borrow from the wise, who said, We have no oil to spare; Go to the merchant men and buy and fill your lamps and then come forth to meet the groom. 29. But while they went to purchase oil, the bridegroom came; the virgins who were ready with their lamps all trimmed went with him to the marriage feast. 30. And when the foolish virgins came the door was shut, and though they knocked and called aloud, the door was opened not. 31. The master of the feast exclaimed, I know you not! and in disgrace the virgins went their way. 32. Again I say to you, and you shall say to them who follow you, 33. Be ready every moment of the day and night, because when you expect him not, the Lord will come. 34. Behold, when he will come with all his messengers of light, the Book of Life, and that of Records, shall be opened up--the books in which the thought and words and deeds are written down. 35. And every one can read the records he has written for himself, and he will know his doom before the judge shall speak, and this will be the sifting time. 36. According to their records men will find their own. 37. The judge is Righteousness, the king of all the earth, and he will separate the multitudes as shepherds separate the sheep and goats. 38. The sheep will find their places on the right, the goats upon the left, and every man will know his place. 39. And then the judge will say, to those upon the right, You blessed of the Father-God, come unto your inheritance, which was prepared for you from times of old. 40. You have been servants of the race; and I was hungry and you gave me bread; was thirsty and you gave me drink; was naked and you gave me clothes; 41. Was sick, you ministered to me; and was in prison and you came to me with words of cheer; I was a stranger and in your homes I found a home. 42. Then will the righteous say, When did we see you hungry, thirsty, sick, imprisoned or a stranger at our gates and ministered to you? 43. And then the judge will say, You served the sons of men, and whatsoever you have done for these, that you have done for me. 44. The judge will say to those upon the left, Depart from me; you have not served the sons of men. 45. I was hungry and you gave me naught to eat; was thirsty and you gave me naught to drink; I was a stranger and you drove me from your door; I was imprisoned and was sick, you did not minister to me. 46. Then these will say, When did we thus neglect to care for you? When did we see you hungry, thirsty, sick, a stranger or in prison and did not minister to you? 47. And then the judge will say, Your life is full of self; you served the self and not your fellow man, and when you slighted one of these, you slighted and neglected me. 48. Then will the righteous have the kingdom and the power, and they who are unrighteous shall go forth to pay their debts, to suffer all that men have suffered at their hands. 49. They who have ears to hear and hearts to understand will comprehend these parables. 50. When he had finished all these parables he said, You know that in two days the great passover feast will come, and lo, the son of man will be betrayed into the hands of wicked men. 51. And he will give his life upon the cross, and men will know that he, the son of man, is son of God. 52. Then Jesus and the twelve returned to Bethany.
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